If I Was Whitney’s Youth Pastor…

As a child of the 80’s I was truly heartbroken when Whitney Houston died. I did not fling myself onto i-Tunes in a grief-stricken downloading frenzy – I already owned most of her music. I love Whitney.

No one sings like Whitney. But as I listened to her music (maybe a little more than usual after her passing, but probably not), I noticed she had a lot of questions – soul searching – in her music. If I had been Whitney’s youth pastor, here’s what I would have said to her.

Where Do Broken Hearts Go? There’s only one, Whitney, who can caress your broken heart until it’s mended. He formed you, fashioned you, and gifted you in your mother’s womb – and He’s the only one who will ever know your true heart of hearts.

Ain’t It Shocking What Love Can Do? Yes. It is. Misplaced love can cause us to make stupid, thoughtless, life-altering mistakes. But Love protects us if we diligently guard our hearts.

How Will I Know If He Really Loves Me? This is a hard question to answer, Whitney. Boys are dumb – and fickle. Be cautious – and invest in someone who invests in God as his first love. It’s not a guarantee that you won’t get hurt – humans are flawed (and especially us guys). But you’ve heard it from me before – there’s only One who can be fully trusted with your heart. He can help you answer this question – and protect you if you make a mistake.

And If, By Chance, That Special Place That You’ve Been Dreaming Of Leads You To A Lonely Place, Find Your Strength In Love. It’s true that sometimes our lives don’t always end up the way we envisioned. Hurts, betrayals, and disappointments abound. If you ever find yourself in that lonely, desolate place – return to your Love. Jesus waits for you – longs for your return – wants to bind your wounds and balm your weary soul.

Didn’t We Almost Have It All? Yes. You did. Almost.

The choices we make in our decade of decision (18 – 30), always follow us into the decade of consequence (30 – 45). (Yes, I realize it’s a little more than a decade.) Are you helping teenagers learn how to guard their hearts? Make wise decisions? Rely on their Creator? I wonder if Whitney had someone in her life – investing in her success as a person beyond her success as an artist. I wonder if there are students in your sphere of influence who are asking the same questions Whitney asked. Who is answering them?